Detachable valve closure



w 1 w 1 2 fil Y N 7 4 v K a. H 2 Q Nov. 3, 1953 ATTORNEKS.

Patented Nov. 3, 1953 DETACHABLE VALVE CLOSURE Ray L. Burchett, East Orange, N. J assignorto Ronson Art Metal Works, Inc., Newark, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 15, 1950, Serial No. 168,325

4 Claims.

The invention relates to a detachable closure device to be applied temporarily during manufacture, shipment or storage, to valve mechanisms of delicate character such as may be used in connection with gas fueled cigar lighters and the like for controlling the flow of fuel to the burner, the main purpose of the closure being to insure that the valve, so long as it is not of faulty construction, will be reliably held closed without either over-straining or loosening of its parts, and also give indication to the observer when a faulty valve is causing leaks and consequent loss of gas. For example, so-called refill containers I for lighters fueled by butane, propane or the like,

may be equipped with closures of the above character, which remain in place until the container is to be put into service, at which time the closure will indicate whether or not gas has been lost by .leakage through the valve; if not the closure is removed and the container assembled in operating relationship to the operating parts of the :lighter which control the valve during service.

Further features of the invention will be in part obvious and in part specifically pointed out in the description hereinafter contained which,

taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, disclosesa preferred form of closure constructed to operate in accordance with the invention; thedisclosure, however, should be considered as merely illustrative of the invention in its broader aspects. In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a closure constructed to operate in accordance with the invention, in operating position with respect to the valve mechanism of a container for gas under pressure.

. Fig-2 is a vertical section taken through the closure, shown detached, and

, this phase the present invention is not particularly concerned. Flow of gaseous fuel to the burner 2 is controlled by a valve member 4 which isshown as, having a sealing disk 5 of synthetic rubber or the like, which is impervious to the gas, and which seats against a valve seat member 6 mounted within the fitting 3 and having a fuel passageway l in communication (preferably through appropriate pressure reducing devices such as are known in the art) with the gaseous fuel supply in container I. The valve 4 is shown as having an actuating member 8 inthe form of a plunger extending outwardly through the mouth of the burner, the gas flowing outwardly through the space between the plunger and the burner, when the valve 4 is open. The illustrated form of valve is opened by the gaseous pressure in passageway 1 unless pressure is applied to the plunger 8 to hold the valve closed.

To hold the valve closed prior to the time when the container is placed in service, I employ a closure cap which which may be molded of elastic rubber or rubber-like material, and whichhas a cavity H therein having gas tight walls. The cap is provided with a base 9 which closely surrounds and grips the neck ll] of the burner so as to form a gas-tight seal at this point, the base 9 being provided with an opening ll therethrough for'this purpose and the walls of the cavity I! together with the burner 2 forming a chamber whichis gas tight except for the passageway I. When the cap is in operating position, its head 12 bears against the outer end of the valve plunger 8, and the elastic sides I3 of the cap are stretched, i. e. placed under tension, so that the I head;,l2 of the cap urges thevalve 4 resiliently into sealing position with respect toits seat. This resilient pressure may readily be kept below an amount which would injure the delicate parts of the valve (which is many times enlarged as it appears in the drawings) as would be likely to happen if a rigid closing device such as a screw were employed; and, on the other hand, the

a elastic pressure insures against loosenes's which might cause leakage. Thus so long as the valve is not faulty, the closure cap remains in the condition indicated by the full lines in Fig. 1, but in case of a leaky valve, the cap tends to balloon out into the distorted shape indicated by the dotted lines it in Fig. 1, until eventually the cap pops oif. Thus, either the absenceof the cap or its ballooned condition, indicates a leaky valve, and a container which is likely to be initially deficient in gas, and leak in service. In the illustrated form the burner is provided witha head l5 under which the base 9 of the cap engages, to hold the cap against popping cit or loosening its pressure on the valve plunger 8, unlessthe internal gaseous pressure becomes high as above referred to A tab l6 may be provided on the cap to assist in stretching its base over the head l5 of the burner, when installing or removing the cap,

While the invention has been disclosed as carried out by a closure of the above described specific form, it should be understood that changes therein may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In combination, a-gas lighter fuel container having a chamber containing gaseous fuel under pressure, a burner projecting from said container, said container also having a fuel conducting passageway leading to said burner and a valve interposed in said'zpassagewaygsaicl valve having an actuating member expose'd #atthe mouth of the burner, said valve actuating menuher being mounted to move-between an. inner I position wherein said valve is closed and an outer position wherein said valve is open-, and an elastic walled closure cap having a cavity therein,rsaid cavity: having gas tight walls and :isaid-ocap being mounted with the walls 'of -said :cavity closely surroundingziand in gas tight de- -tachable engagement with :theprojecting portion of said-burneriandialsosurrounding said valve actuating memberto for-m a'gas tight chamber containing said projecting portion a of said burner and said member, said "cap having a head bearing against :said valve actuating member, and-the sides of the cap being initen- -sion to resiliently urge said valve into closed position.

In combination, a gas lighter fuel container having a chamber containing gaseous fuel under pressure, a'burner havin'g aneck portion projecting from said container and also havin *an enlargedhead, said container also having a fuel conducting passageway leading to said burner and a valve interposed in .saidpassage- Way, said valve having an'actuating plunger projecting through'the mouth of said burner, said valve actuating member'being mounted to move between an innerposition-wherein said valve is closed and' an' outer position-wherein said valve is open, and an elastic walled closure cap having a cavity therein, said cavity having gas tight -wal1s, said cap being mounted on and detach- '-a-bly engaging the projecting portion of said -burner with said head and said'valve plunger Within said cavity and with a'wall of-saidcavity *closely surrounding and in gas tight detachable -engagementwith the burner neck adjacent the burner head to form a gas tight chamber containing said burnerheadand the projecting portion of said plunger, said cap also havinga head "nearing against said valve "actuating plunger, "and thesides of the capbeing intension to resiliently urge said valve into closed position.

3. In combination, a gas lighter fuel container having a chamber containing a gaseous fuel under pressure, a burner projecting from said container and having a mouth therein for the issuance of said fuel therefrom, said container having a fuel conducting passageway leading to said burner and a valve interposed in said passageway, said valve having an actuating member exposed at the mouth of said burner, and .a iclosurewcap having a cavity therein adapted to receive the end of said burner, said cavity :having:gas-Ltight Walls at least one of which is elastic and saidicap having a base in gas tight,

detachable-engagement with said burner and belingmounted with the mouth of said burner within said cavity, said walls of said cavity and said burneri'forming a gas tight chamber whereby gas leaking past said valve when said cap is on said burner is prevented from escaping, said cap also having means engaging saidactuating member tohold said valve in closed position.

, said burner within said cavity, said walls of said cavity and said burner forming a gas tight-chamber whereby gasileaking pastsaid valve when saidcap ison said burner1is:-prevented from escaping, said: cap also I being mounted "with :a wall of said cavity in engagement with said actuating member to hold said valve in closed; po-

sition.

RAY L, BURCI-IETT.

References Citedin the file of thistpatent UNITED "STATES PATENTS Number Name, "Date 787,591 'Sonnenfeld Apr. 18, I905 8%;755 'Schalow Feb. 19, 1907 FOREIGN PATENTS N umber Country Date 815,729 France -Apr. 12,1937 

